Skip to main content

January Newsletter


SHANNON’S CORNER
January 2019

My New Year has started off with some amazing things happening with the arrival of three interns who will be serving in our two schools here in Jarabacoa.  Adam and Tracee are serving in Palo Blanco School until the beginning of April helping with our AWANA program, Club – Bible club with our high school students and helping in various areas as the school is implementing our trauma care.  Tiana is serving in ANIJA School until the end of the school year (beginning of June) and then will help in our summer program (end of July) as well.  Tiana is mainly going to be helping to coach our girls’ soccer team, mentoring the young coaches we have already and discipling the girls in their walk with the Lord and then part-time being an assistant P.E. teacher at ANIJA.

One-day Retreat
I am really excited to share with you how God has been working in providing the holistic care and support that has been on my heart for our missionaries here in the DR since I joined the Kids Alive DR team.  Before I even arrived in 2016 to the Dominican Republic, Vic had asked if I would be willing to set up a third party member care organization to serve the needs or our missionaries here in the DR.  I had said that I would love to help set it up and even knew of an organization that I thought would be great.

My first fall in the Dominican Republic we had a couple come from Barnabas International to come get to know our ministry and our missionaries.  My hope and prayer was to have a partnership with them in providing the care that was beyond what God had called me to do in regards to member care.  There were bumps along the way and things really just did not seem to be moving forward.  I continued to pray asking God to reveal His plan regarding resources for the aspects of member and pastoral care that I did not feel 
Shannon with cook at MIANCERG
qualified nor called to provide yet knowing how essential it was for the needs of our missionaries.

I am part of a Facebook group called Global Member Care Network and at least once a week I read through their newsreel of information that people post.  One day, as I was reading I came across Safe Place Ministry as they shared their website to one of the posts that had attracted my attention.  I then looked up their website and read what they were about and liked the services that they provided so I emailed them for more information.  Bethann emailed me right away to set up a video call so I could learn more about their ministry and what they offer and how they may be able to help.  With a few more back and forth emails and another video call our leadership felt this was a great resource for our missionaries in the DR and to set up a time for Safe Place Ministry to visit the DR.

New classroom at MIANCERG
I helped to host three amazing people from Safe Place Ministry located in eastern PA during their week with us in the Dominican Republic.  Safe Place Ministry is an organization that does member and pastoral care for those serving in ministry.  The purpose of their visit was to get to know our ministry as well as our missionaries who serve here in the Dominican Republic to build rapport and the start of having a relationship between them and us.  I am excited to have Safe Place Ministry partner with us to provide the holistic care and support that our missionaries need.  I am looking forward to how Safe Place and I will work together and receiving training that they can provide for me as I serve and minister to our missionaries and directors here in the Dominican Republic.
Alberto and Tom

The end of our week together, Safe Place held a one-day retreat for us.  Worshipping together in song and prayer.  It was a time of encouragement; pondering and reflecting on how Jesus modeled to us the importance of ‘lonely places’ – having time with the Father and knowing and hearing His voice.  Being challenged regarding what in our lives need to shift in order to hear the voice of the Father.  

 “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary (lonely) place.”
John 14:13

PRAYER REQUESTS
Praise the Lordfor Safe Place Ministry ministering to our missionaries this past week!
Praise the Lord for Adam and Tracee arriving to the DR!
Praise the Lordfor Tiana arriving to the DR!
Praise the Lord for Dave and Connie arriving to the DR!
Prayfor Tiana, Adam and Tracee as they continue to transition here in the DR and the ministry they will be doing at ANIJA and Palo Blanco Schools.
Prayfor Jackie our intern at our school in Santo Domingo who will be finishing January 25thwith KAI and leaving February 4th.
Prayfor me to spend quality time with my Father in Heaven to know His voice.
Prayfor wisdom regarding Bible study, next steps, women’s retreat, summer interns, etc.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

October Newsletter

  SHANNON’S CORNER The Saga Continues… The trip to Malaysia consisted of a two-day spiritual retreat with the theme of ‘Come Away With Me’ and a six-day conference with about 230 missionaries who serve in some aspect of translating the Scriptures. One of the many people who I met was a missionary who served in Cameroon for many years and now is in a new role. As he was sharing, most his words were very negative and depressive. I encouraged him to sign up for a time of prayer and care. At the end of the retreat, this missionary shared with me that he did have a session and I could see that his whole countenance changed, and he was hopeful. His new word he used to describe where he was now is ‘delightful.’ Our time there was creating a safe space for these missionaries to have a place to share what they are struggling with and to connect with Jesus. One missionary is at a crossroads in her life. Another finds himself in the midst of betrayal. A missionary is in a new role as a caregi...
Post a Comment
Read more

April Newsletter

  SHANNON’S CORNER Be still. Be present. Behold. The prayer labyrinth is a journey that draws us closer to the heart of God with every step.  It’s a path where we listen, trust, and follow, knowing that He is always guiding us.  As we walk this path of prayer, we learn to recognize His voice, to lean into His presence, and to surrender to His direction.  It’s not just about where we’re going—it’s about who we’re walking with.  Lent this year has been a journey of walking inward toward the center of the labyrinth. Along the way, releasing my burdens to Jesus who is my beast of burden (Zec. 9:9), the One who carries what I cannot.  Arriving at the center, I find a resting place for my soul (Mt. 11:28-30) and resting in God’s loving embrace as He makes room for the new to spring up within me (Is. 43:18-19).  Now I’m journeying out of the labyrinth with the anointing of His presence and with an overflowing cup (Ps 23:5). Such an honor a...
Post a Comment
Read more

September Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for this ministry.  Each debrief is a sacred invitation—a chance to step into someone’s story, even if only for a short stretch of the journey.  It feels a bit like being allowed to glimpse a painting still in progress.  We may not yet see the final picture, but we trust the One who promises to complete the good work He has begun until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). Recently, in an online debrief, the missionary shared: “ I am in a much better place since our initial meeting.  Taking the time to process my lived experience overseas and to grieve the losses, I now feel I have the capacity to move forward here in my new season of life. ” We also had the joy of walking alongside three third culture children. To see their eyes light up as their stories were received with understanding and care was priceless.  These children do not often have many who truly grasp their unique li...
Post a Comment
Read more